Josephine "Jo" D (Daley) Welsh

Josephine D. (“Jo”) Welsh, born February 12, 1934, passed peacefully to her eternal rest on Good Friday, April 2, 2021, at the age of 87. She was born to immigrant parents escaping Fascism, who came to America from the Alpine border of Austria and Italy.

Jo attended grammar school in a one-room schoolhouse in Alsen, NY, and graduated as valedictorian at age 16 from St. Patrick’s High School in Catskill, NY. The following year, Jo enrolled in the Benedictine Hospital School of Nursing in Kingston, NY. After graduating in 1954, she worked at the V.A. Hospital in Albany, NY for 4 years where she cared for a patient whose son, John C. (“Jack”) Welsh, was a fellow St. Patrick’s graduate. On December 27, 1958, Jo married John C. Welsh at St. Mary’s Church in Cementon, NY and together they had 4 children, all of whom attended the University of Notre Dame. They settled in Catskill and Jo’s focus turned to the Women’s Job Corps, the Environmental Commission, the League of Women Voters and teaching summer tennis. She also attended the Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, NY and she filled her walls with her paintings inspired from frequent travels across the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean. In addition to painting and traveling, Jo loved reading, cooking, foreign films, opera, dance, women’s history, walks in the woods and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed sitting with Jack on their beautiful flower-filled patio at Holy Cross Village, chatting with neighbors. Jo was well-versed in current events, supported causes she believed in and had a spirit of adventure to try new things, including technology. Despite hearing loss, Jo had a curious mind, a warm laugh and an exuberant joy for life until the very end. She will be greatly missed.

Jo wished to express her deep gratitude to the dedicated caregivers at Michiana Hematology/Oncology, Memorial Hospital of South Bend, and the Center for Hospice Care (Mishawaka).

She is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, John C. Welsh, former Albany Law School professor; her sister, Sylvia Diss, of Potomac, MD; her daughter, Kathleen (Welsh) Shipp, of Lake Forest, IL (husband Terry) and their children, Harry, Michael, Abby and Sammy; her son, John J. Welsh, of Beverly Hills, CA (wife Susan) and their children, Isabella and Jack; her daughter, Claire Welsh, of Pueblo, CO; and her son, Jim Welsh, of Mishawaka, IN (wife Joann) and their daughters, Kelly and Megan.

In lieu of flowers, she requests that donations be made to Doctors Without Borders at PO Box 5030 Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 or the American Indian College Fund at 8333 Greenwood Blvd., Denver, CO 80221.

A memorial service will be planned at a future date.

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